Do opioids provide adequate analgesia for surgical coeliotomy in teleost fish?

For teleost fish undergoing surgical coeliotomy, do intramuscular exogenous opioids reduce perioperative pain, compared with no analgesia?

Treatment.

Four studies were critically reviewed. All were randomised controlled trials, 2 with a parallel group design, and 2 with a factorial crossover group design.

Moderate.

The studies produced contradicting results regarding the analgesic efficacy of opioids perioperatively, with some evidence of pain alleviation when assessing behavioural parameters, but not when assessing clinical pathology or quantitative cardioventilatory data.

Perioperative use of opioids for teleost fish undergoing invasive surgical procedures may reduce behavioural changes associated with pain compared with no analgesia, but there is insufficient evidence to determine if they provide adequate pain relief based on the study methodologies.